Retrieving An Aircraft From A Tree

GlassKnees

GlassKnees

Well-Known Member
Okay, so I wasn't flying a quadcopter - it was a Parrot Disco.... I got too close to some trees and banked to avoid the first but the second tree was just a tad taller and caught my aircraft. There it was, stuck at least sixty feet up and no way to climb up to retrieve it. I had to leave it for the night - as I left it beeped woefully...

That night, I searched for methods to extract lost aircraft from a tree, but I already had an approach in mind. the next morning, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought a wrist rocket style sling shot and a small package of lead sinkers and a roll of 10 lb fishing line. Then I stopped at the hardware store and bought some nylon twine - about 100 yards.

I drove back to the field, located the Disco and set up my retrieval system - tied a lead sinker to the end of the fishing line and using the sling shot, fired the weight over a branch that the aircraft was resting on. This took several attempts, but eventually I managed to get the line over the branch. Then I tied the nylon twine around the lead weight and pulled it back over so I had the heavier, stronger line over the branch. Tugging on both ends of the nylon twine did the trick - the Disco was dislodged and fell to the ground. The wings separated from the fuselage, which was okay - there was no damage to the aircraft.

I was worried that the lipo was discharged to the point that would not be able to recharge it again, but the CHUCK flight controller shut down before completely discharging the battery and I was able to recharge it. I was lucky - it was a pleasant, dry evening so the aircraft was no worse for it's overnight treetop experience...
 
Excellent method. I used a bow and arrow once in the same way. Tied the thicker string to the arrow and shot really high cause the string starts to drag it down fast.
 
I thought about a bow and arrow, but decided that the sling shot was a cheaper option. The sporting good store advertised a slingshot that you could use to shoot arrows, but I felt that the sinker/fishing line approach would be easier to retrieve if I missed the desired branch!
 
My bugs3 never had a chance slingshot and bow and arrow tried neither worked lol. It's still up there everytime I try to get video of it my other quads crash. It's become a. Bermuda triangle no fly zone lol.
 
That makes now want to include one of my rock slings in my gear for this idea.
20120620131900.jpg
 
[QUOTEtreessKnees, post: 65136, member: 7361"]Okay, so I wasn't flying a quadcopter - it was a Parrot Disco.... I got too close to some trees and banked to avoid the first but the second tree was just a tad taller and caught my aircraft. There it was, stuck at least sixty feet up and no way to climb up to retrieve it. I had to leave it for the night - as I left it beeped woefully...

That night, I searched for methods to extract lost aircraft from a tree, but I already had an approach in mind. the next morning, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought a wrist rocket style sling shot and a small package of lead sinkers and a roll of 10 lb fishing line. Then I stopped at the hardware store and bought some nylon twine - about 100 yards.

I drove back to the field, located the Disco and set up my retrieval system - tied a lead sinker to the end of the fishing line and using the sling shot, fired the weight over a branch that the aircraft was resting on. This took several attempts, but eventually I managed to get the line over the branch. Then I tied the nylon twine around the lead weight and pulled it back over so I had the heavier, stronger line over the branch. Tugging on both ends of the nylon twine did the trick - the Disco was dislodged and fell to the ground. The wings separated from the fuselage, which was okay - there was no damage to the aircraft.

I was worried that the lipo was discharged to the point that would not be able to recharge it again, but the CHUCK flight controller shut down before completely discharging the battery and I was able to recharge it. I was lucky - it was a pleasant, dry evening so the aircraft was no worse for it's overnight treetop experience...[/QUOTE]
okay slingshot it is!
Yesterday I was in the store looking at slingshots and bow and arrows, trying to decide. your success helped me make up my mind thanks I'll go with the slingshot to retrieve the quad I marooned in a tree on Tuesday
 
I once found myself a long ways up in a massive oak tree. I could just touch my 2 meter R/C sailplane with the tips of my fingers, but managed to get it to glide down to the ground. This tree was so massive that way up about 30 feet, the branches were like standing on a floor.

Of COURSE I was barefoot. Why do you even ask?
 
Have used a similar method just wrapping a rock in cloth then tying off with a rope and throwing it but at 60ft up that'd be tough. I bought a painting extension pole that extends to about 30ft so it's good for most average size trees in my area but I typically fly below or just around the tree line, fear of heights and drifting keep me low.
 
An open field at low altitude is fine but when you want those panoramic shots you need the altitude preferably about 150 to 400 feet (legal limit) Most trees of that stature are more along the lines of the Sequoya. Those don't grow in great numbers East of the Rocky Mountains in the USA.
 
LoneRCRanger said:
An open field at low altitude is fine but when you want those panoramic shots you need the altitude preferably about 150 to 400 feet (legal limit) Most trees of that stature are more along the lines of the Sequoya. Those don't grow in great numbers East of the Rocky Mountains in the USA.
Click to expand...
But trees attract drones, kites, Frisbees, and other flying toys.
 
Had success retrieving with cheap slingshot! + fishline, etc. Having someone to catch the falling unpowered quad would help too.
 
I use one of these for getting stuff into or out of trees. Like Christmas Decorations, antennas, quads etc.

I can shoot way over 75 foot pines with accuracy.

Tennis ball and fish line. Up up and away!

air-cannon-plans.jpg
 
Here's another method that worked for me in a similar situation. I use a spinning fishing rod and reel. And cast the sinker in a big arc over the branch of interest. Of course it takes more than one cast but once I have the monofilament over the branch I can attach a heavy cord. Glad to hear you were successful. I lost my drone in a heavily branched pine tree. Gone and we got 3 or 4 inches of rain since.
 
ArmyVet said:
I use one of these for getting stuff into or out of trees. Like Christmas Decorations, antennas, quads etc.

I can shoot way over 75 foot pines with accuracy.

Tennis ball and fish line. Up up and away!

air-cannon-plans.jpg
Click to expand...
Yeah my dad made me dissemble the potato cannon I had in the garage in high school. Apparently he thought with the last name Husain in America and having the cannon in the garage was a bad combo (probably a good call, but was upsetting at the time).
 
Back
Top